Talk to Your Sister: 07/02/14

During my stay at Gusti Kaler, my homestay host, Nyoman, his wife, children and parents, made sure I was comfortable and that all my needs were met. They were gracious hosts who not only shared their home but also gave me an opportunity to experience how they practice their religion by inviting me to join a Hindu cleansing ritual they were scheduled to celebrate at their private Balinese temple. As preparation for the ceremony, I was asked to to drape over a scarf and sarong over my regular clothes.

Top view of my scarf and sarong

The ritual involved a spiritual leader who sang and chanted various blessings, while family and friends prayed and laid out offerings of leaf wrapped rice and suckling pig in the temple grounds. After the offerings were laid out, the family cleansed themselves with the holy water and flowers that had been blessed by the spiritual leader. Once the ceremony was complete, family and friends were asked to partake of the food that was laid out in one of the gazebos. I was indeed privileged to have been invited by Nyoman and his lovely family.
Gusti Kaler House, Sriwedari Street No. 24, Br. Taman Kelod, Ubud, Bali
Nyoman Mobile: 087 862 625 626; Email: sriti922@yahoo.co.id

Entrance to the temple located in the Gusti Kaler compound

Inside the temple grounds

Nyoman's son watching over the offerings

Spiritual adviser conducting the ceremony

Nyoman and his lovely wife

Prior to my Bali trip, I did some online research and realized that aside from the fact that Ubud was known for being the centre of cultural tourism, it has through the years become a place where yoga enthusiasts from all over the world can improve their practice and expand their knowledge of various types of yoga, from Ashtanga, Hatha, Iyengar, Yin, Restorative, Vinyasa Flow, Aero Yoga, Anusara, Laya, Yoga Nidra plus learn about other practices such as Pilates, Capoeira, Tibetan Bowl Meditation, Kirtan, and many more... This was the perfect place for me to slowly move back into strengthening my own yoga practice which I started several years ago.

I was fortunate to have found the Yoga Barn as they offered a one-week unlimited yoga pass for IDR700,000 (SGD73, or PHP2,500). This was perfect as I now had the opportunity to slowly strengthen my own practice and at the same time have the chance to try out different types of yoga since they offered 10 or more different classes every day. My normal day would start with a 7am yoga class, light breakfast at Kafe K located in the Yoga Barn's compound, relax for a few hours then go for lunch at a nearby cafe. After lunch, I would walk around town for an hour or so - Ubud had interesting nooks and crannies that one can appreciate more by simply walking. Then in the late afternoons, I would join another yoga class or at times I would join meditation sessions. Dinner would be around 6pm, then rest a bit before I go for a massage. Such a wonderful blessing to be able to enjoy all of this during my visit! http://www.theyogabarn.com/

Entrance to the Yoga Barn studios

Spacious and airy 2/F studio

The Yoga Barn's surroundings were so lush, green and beautiful that I decided to stay in their dorm room for a couple of days. The room was large, beds comfortable, the bathroom was big and made it a lot easier for me to join class as it only took me 3 minutes to walk from my room to the yoga studio. The ladies I shared the room with were all so gracious and kind.